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Berry College: Philanthropy In The Mountains, Rome, Georgia

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Tranquillity and Excellence In Education

With the largest college campus in the world (28,000 acres) in a tranquil "walden pond" like setting, Berry College is an educational jewel no longer in the rough.

Where else can a student roam 100's of acres of woods and watch deer casually playing in the open fields or along side the roads without fear of danger? Berry is truly unique.

Martha Berry, who created this educational institution to serve rural mountain children, had a vision that did not die when she did. Now, all students are accepted and they come from all over the world.

Contents at a Glance

  1. Martha Berry
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The Campus Is Full Of Natural Beauty

As you ride through the Berry College Campus, sometimes you feel as if there are as many deer as there are students. (Actually, there might be). This photo was taken on what is known as the Mountain Campus as I rode around in September of 2008. Wherever you go you will find the deer. They are not afraid of humans since there is almost a hundred years of protection preceding them. Berry College campus is truly unique!

The following slide show is of photos which were taken by the author of this lens on a recent trip (September, 2008) to Berry College. They provide numerous representative photos of the campus

curated content from Flickr

Old Mill Water Wheel

One of the most photographed sites on the Berry College campus is the waterwheel found in the back part of their Mountain Campus. In 1930 this waterwheel was built and used to produce corn meal for the use of the student population. Under the supervision of a miller, Berry's students put into practice the work philosophy of Martha Berry by running this mill for the benefit of the school.

The metal hub was donated to the school by The Republic Mining and Manufacturing Company. This was all that needed to be donated; for true to the work philosophy of the school, the students built the rest of the waterwheel. It is not in use now, but during its active years, this 42 foot diameter waterwheel was one of the largest overshot waterwheels in the United States.

It was operated with water from Berry's reservoir and used gravity to activate the wheel. It is truly a testament to Martha Berry's foresight and work ethic.

Toward the end of this lens, I am including a slide show of the waterwheel taken from different angles and the area immediately around it.

Martha Berry

A Life of Dedication and Philanthropy!

Oak Hill Plantation Home

Martha Berry's family plantation home is still apart of the Berry College campus. This residence, along with its gardens, is a favorite of photographers. Even part of the "Sweet Home Alabama" movie was filmed here. It was here that Martha lived with her parents, and after their death continued to live here.

A Life Of Dedication

Martha Berry chose to never marry, instead dedicating her life to the education of the poor mountain children for whom she had such great educational goals.

Not only was her life exemplary in its philanthropic orientation, but her dedication inspired multiple donations from well known industrialists such as Henry Ford. There is now a whole complex of amazing buildings called the Ford buildings.

One of the stories I heard growing up in Rome, Georgia was that Henry Ford gave Martha Berry a minimal donation and said that he would give more if she could show good stewardship of that donation.

She chose to use the money to buy seeds for planting a crop, and as everyone knows the multiplication power of a few seeds can be tremendous. The story goes that he was so impressed by her feat that he decided to give a major donation resulting in the Ford Center buildings. Whether the story is true or not is not as important as the fact that she was able to impress others to share her dreams.

She went from one educational endeavor to another. She started with her Boy's Industrial School in 1902. This was an outgrowth of her teaching Bible lessons to local mountain children. She took land given to her by her father and began the school.

She quickly expanded by adding the Martha Berry School for Girls in 1909, and followed up in 1926 by establishing the Berry Junior College. Many of the events illustrative of her life's work can be seen by using the link in the next section to view the pictorial history of The Berry Schools.

Ford Center Buildings

As stated above, whether the story of how Henry Ford came to donate the money is true or not, he did give the school the money that resulted in the incredibly beautiful Ford Buildings. Even more important is the fact that Martha Berry was able to impress him to share her dreams.

Following this photo I am setting up a slide show from my Flickr collection which gives additional views of the Ford Buildings.

curated content from Flickr

Swan Lake

College and romance often go hand in hand. And hand in hand is what you often see as couples go for an afternoon walk around Swan Lake.

But, watch out for the swans and especially the geese. The swans generally stay on the lake and avoid people but the geese can be quite unfriendly at times. Don't try feeding them with your hands!

View Some Of Berry's History!

A Pictorial History

Historical Precedents To Berry College

Martha Berry instituted a series of educational programs to serve the poor mountain children years prior to Berry College becoming the four year Liberal Arts College that it is today. They have collectively been called The Berry Schools.

For a more comprehensive summary of Berry's history, go to the article of Berry College in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

Berry is situated on the outskirts of Rome, Georgia and has been an important part of its history since 1902.

The first was the Boys Industrial School, which opened its doors on January 13,1902 with five boys. Before the year was out the number had grown to 30.

The Martha Berry School for Girls opens with 14 girls on Thanksgiving Day of 1909. It closed its doors in 1955.

Then in 1926, Berry Junior College is established.

By 1956, with educational emphases changing nationwide, it was decided that the future of Berry lay in further development of its College program. The next year, the received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and since that time, university level education has been emphasized.

The Original Cabin

This cabin was the original cabin used by Martha Berry as she started her Sunday School classes for local urchins from nearby Lavendar Mountain. It was from classes held in this cabin that the school eventually grew to encompass over 28,000 acres.

The cabin was built by Martha Berry's father just after the Civil War for Martha and her brothers. It wasn't long until the playhouse became a school house and the rest is history. She quickly outgrew the cabin but never forgot the significance of it. She even included it in the schools Seal.

It was later moved from "Possum Trot" (now a location on campus) to its present location close to the gift shop on the plantation lands of Oak Hill.

Inside The Original Cabin

The furnishing of the cabin were quite austere when compared with the later life Miss Berry had in her plantation mansion. She was never poor but was always cognizant of those who were.

A Pictorial History Of Berry Academy

"From The Unofficial Site For Graduates Of Berry Academy"

The following list of events related to the Berry Schools is from "A Pictorial History of Berry Academy", provided on The Unofficial Website of the Berry Academy.

Each of the events listed have a photo or picture depicting the event. Click on the link above and enjoy the pictorial history of these events.
  • 1902.....Boys Industrial School Opens January 13 with five boys
  • 1909.....The Martha Berry School for Girls opens with 14 girls on Thanksgiving Day
  • 1910......President Theodore Roosevelt visits the campus and dines in what is later called the Roosevelt Cabin
  • 1912......The first Mountain Day is held with a picnic on Lavendar Mountain
  • 1916.....The "Pine Lodge" is the first building constructed on the "Academy" site
  • 1921.....Mr. & Mrs. Henry Ford visit The Berry Schools
  • 1923.....Mrs. Emily Vanderbilt Hammond visits the school
  • 1925.....U.S. President Calvin Coolidge presents the Roosevelt Memoriad Association Medal of Honor to Martha Berry
  • 1926.....Berry Junior College is established
  • 1930.....The Old Mill is built on the Academy campus
  • 1931.....Martha Berry named "One of America's Twelve Greatest Women" by Good Housekeeping Magazine readers.
  • 1932.....Berry Colleges graduates its first class as a four year school
  • 1933.....Martha Berry visits U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevel in Warm Springs, GA
  • 1937.....Frost Chapel is completed
  • 1937.....The Normandy Dairy complex construction was completed
  • 1942.....Martha Berry dies February 27th at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta
  • 1956.....Dr. John R. Bertrand becomes Berry's fifth president
  • 1964.....Mount Berry School for Boys is renamed Berry Academy
  • 1979.....Dr. Bertrand retires and is replaced by Gloria M. Shatto.
  • 1984.....Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A Restaurants, established the WinsShape Centre at the former Berry Academy campus.

Other Lenses On The Rome, Georgia Area

"Berry College has been an integral part of Rome, Georgia and the surrounding area since its inception in 1902. This featured lens gives details about the history of Rome, Georgia from its Native American roots to the present, and provides links to local college educational facilities (Berry College included), the local school systems, hospitals, and some of its local attractions. It is a good informational supplement to this lens."
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Back View Of Frost Chapel On The Berry College Mountain Campus 

Berry College Videos

Mountain Day
by moorema9 | video info

2 ratings | 1,951 views
curated content from YouTube

Video Montage of Berry College Scenes

This is a slow moving, but informative video montage emphasizing Berry College's natural beauty, with shots of the campus and wildlife (the real wildlife, not the college student kind) with soothing background music. Good, but try not to go to sleep while listening to the music.

Martha Berry College, Rome Georgia
by acwhite278 | video info

3 ratings | 3,138 views
curated content from YouTube

More Informational Sources On Berry College

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A Slideshow Of The Old Mill & It's Waterwheel

curated content from Flickr

Let Me Know You Were Here.

  • Jeff May 13, 2012 @ 11:55 am | delete
    I visited the campus of Berry College for a British car show and I was extremely impressed. Made me wish I was college age again.
  • SNPJ-society Oct 6, 2011 @ 9:42 am | delete
    What a wonderful place and lens! :)
  • Janet Cook May 30, 2011 @ 10:34 pm | delete
    My two brothers and I graduated from Berry. I knew immediately at the age of 13 my life was changed for the better.We were from a rural area in south Georgia, and our parents made a huge sacrifice to send us there for a wonderful education. The campus was beautiful, and will forever be a special part of my life. Thanks for the pictures!
  • sylrad540@aol.com Mar 5, 2011 @ 5:13 pm | delete
    Very Interesting and lovely campus. My great uncle went to Martha Berry College. I wonder is this college associated with Chick-fil-let. They are still not open on Sunday - which is saying a heck of a lot for anyone these days. When everyone seems to be out there to make a buck - with no concern for the right thing to do.
  • mbgphoto Feb 8, 2011 @ 11:39 am | delete
    Very interesting...blessed and added to my United States Travel Angel lens.
  • proposalsuperv Mar 17, 2010 @ 6:09 am | delete
    Wow! great lens it is. Some great kind of information on this lens . here are some essential links.I will try to browse them. And I think that these will be helpful for me. I rated 5 star on this lens.

    Thanks for this lens.
  • cmstan Mar 15, 2010 @ 11:49 am | delete
    this is an amazing school my aunt went here and i want to do the same i love the foundations the school has.
  • sissy Feb 14, 2010 @ 10:17 am | delete
    i am in 6th grad and i have been researching Berry College and i need to no what kind of schlarships they have
  • Delaney2213 Jan 16, 2010 @ 8:18 am | delete
    I am in 7th Grade and have been researching Berry College for many years, for Animal Sciences and Business, and i was wondering how much money it is to go to Berry College in Rome, GA.
  • cmstan Mar 15, 2010 @ 11:47 am | delete
    $40,000
  • A teacher Dec 30, 2009 @ 4:13 pm | delete
    I was amazed and excited to see all of this awe inspiring information. I just finished reading "Miracle in the Mountains" and wondered what had become of Berry College. Thank you for sharing hope with us.
  • SemperFidelis Apr 23, 2009 @ 8:13 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens. I love all the images you've included.
    Blessed by a SquidAngel today!
    www.squidoo.com/squid-angel
    ~ Colleen :o)
  • Alice Syman Apr 18, 2009 @ 7:37 pm | delete
    My mother attended Berry School in 1922-23. She lived in Cedartown, GA. She got measles and had to go home. She didn't return, had to help her father in his business, drive the car for him. When she wa about 76 years old I asked the school for a transcript of er grades. They sent her one. She said she won $25.00 (a whopping amount those days!) for being the most industrious student of the year. She had never told us this before.
  • Ami O'Neill Apr 10, 2009 @ 1:39 am | delete
    I was born in Rome, Georgia, spent a great deal of time visiting family there, and frequently visited the campus of Berry College. I enjoyed your this documentary. It reminds me of what a lovely place it is and draws me back for a visit. Thanks for your time and beautiful work.
  • lisadh Mar 9, 2009 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    I've never heard of Berry College, but enjoyed your lens, particularly the photos. What a beautiful campus!
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